Self-retracting lifelines are well known and are commonly configured to arrest a user's weight in the event of a fall from a height and to do so within a prescribed distance and without exerting above a prescribed force on the user in an attempt to prevent significant trauma to the user. In this regard, it is known to incorporate a braking mechanism into the self-retracting lifeline. Because they are often used in industrial and construction environments, self-retracting lifelines are often exposed to extreme environments, including extreme environments such as off-shore oil drilling and other corrosive environments. While several known self-retracting lifelines work satisfactorily for their intended purpose, there is always room for improvement.